Slades Farm Car Park

The car park at Slades Farm, just outside Christchurch, is more trailhead than destination - but that's rather the point. This is where walkers abandon their cars and set off into the New Forest proper, or head down towards the Avon Valley. There's nothing fancy here: it's a working farm car park with enough spaces to get you started on a proper walk, and that's all it needs to be.

What makes it useful is its position. You're close enough to Christchurch's medieval priory and town amenities that you can combine a morning's walking with afternoon exploration, yet far enough out that you feel like you've properly left town. The car park itself is free and unsupervised, which means it gets busy on weekends and bank holidays - arrive early or risk circling.

This works best for walkers and families who want to escape into the countryside without the faffing about of larger visitor centres. You won't spend time here; you'll use it as a springboard. The surrounding paths lead through proper woodland and open farmland, the sort of terrain that keeps older children occupied for hours without needing entertainment infrastructure.

If you're staying at Meadowbank Holidays nearby, or one of the Shorefield parks at Oakdene or Forest Edge, Slades Farm is a convenient spot to lace up your boots. It's the sort of place that reminds you why you came to Dorset in the first place - space, trees, and quiet paths that go somewhere worth walking to.